One of the most appealing challenges of tribology is to deduce the physical conditions within the interface in question. These conditions can generally not be measured directly, because the introduction of the transducer would fundamentally disturb the conditions in question.
The more deeply one considers the term "coefficient of friction" in the real world, the more one understands that stating a single figure misses the beauty of the diverse processes taking place in the interface. A graphical representation using the Stribeck curve offers a starting point from which to explore this multi-variable, multi-physics world in finer detail.
Furthermore, the oft-quoted single figure for the friction coefficient is valid only within strict limits, which may not always be visible until it is too late. Modern machinery, down-sized, highly-stressed, developed under global cost pressures and applied in new ways, is vulnerable to such assumptions.
Tribometers are devices that measure friction between interface elements under tightly-controlled conditions. They can be used for precise testing of durability. Tribometers are traditionally laboratory-grade instruments, out of reach of the practising engineer. Furthermore, they produce results that can be abstract, noisy and difficult to apply in engineering.
The wider uptake and application of tribology in wealth-creating industries may be assisted by the availability of low-cost, industrially-applicable tribometers. I am interested in the potential for open-sourcing novel tribometer designs along the lines of RepRap.
In this posting, I intend to begin by compiling a review of various tribometer designs as a starting point.
This posting is open for your reply, if you have similar motivations or would like to share your ideas on this theme.